The Return
by briannawrites
Summary: The Sequel to "The Fallout". Six years after Samantha and Dean's lives were changed forever, things are finally getting back to normal. But, what happens when Samantha is offered her job back, and Dean's out with an injury? Can they make their relationship work, even when another man tries to step in?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's the sequel to "The Fallout". If you haven't read that yet, I suggest that you do! :)**

* * *

"April, you need to pick up your toys!" Samantha was exhausted, and the fact that her six year old daughter was being disobedient wasn't helping.

Times were getting tougher now that Dean had won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He was required to be at work, no matter if he had a match or not. As the most successful of wrestlers will tell you, all press is good press when you're trying to keep your high status.

Although things were getting more and more difficult, Samantha wasn't going to complain. She knew how important Dean's job was, not just for him, but for their daughter as well.

Samantha walked into her bedroom after putting April down for bed and stared at herself in the mirror for a good minute or two.

'_I could go back to being a Diva…right?' _She thought to herself as she checked out her slimmer figure.

It hadn't taken her very long to get back in shape after she gave birth to April, thanks to Dean and all of her previous training. All of her friends were extremely supportive of her getting back to work, but she ultimately decided that it wasn't what was best for her and her child.

Becoming a mother was a difficult transition, considering Samantha was only twenty-three when she got pregnant and had her baby, but she handled it all with grace. It all came too natural for her, yet she never got too cocky about it. She loved her daughter more than words could possibly describe, and she was thankful every day for AJ's efforts in getting her to the hospital in time for her to have her.

Samantha was just about to call it a night when her phone began to vibrate from the nightstand. Reaching across, she saw that it was Dean, creating a grin from ear-to-ear to form.

"Hey, babe," Samantha greeted.

"Hey, Sam. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Samantha smiled like a child. "The feeling's mutual. How's everything been going?"

Dean was sitting on his private jet, looking at a picture of April and Samantha in a golden frame. He really missed them, and he was all too excited to be finally returning home to them.

"It's all wonderful. I'm on the plane right now, and I should be home within the hour."

The brunette sighed. "I feel like you've been gone for months now."

"It's only been a week and a half."

"A week and a half too long," she commented.

Dean laughed. He missed her witty humor. "How's April doing?"

Rolling out of bed, Samantha walked into the hallway and down the hall to April's room. She peeked into the room just to check in on her, and smiled. "She's great. Asleep right now, but still great."

"I miss her, Sam."

"I know that you do," she sighed again. "But, you'll be here soon enough."

Smiling, Dean thought about being home again. He opened his mouth to speak and lifted his arm to rest it behind his head, but let out a small groan of pain.

"Dean?" She remembered him telling her earlier about his sore shoulder, but she thought that it had recovered. "Did you talk to the trainers about your shoulder?"

"No," he said flatly.

"Dean," she scolded. "You know how important it is to be at the top of your game."

He let out a tired laugh. "You don't think I'm at the top of my game?"

Samantha rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. I just don't want you to dig yourself a hole that you can't escape from."

"I'll be fine, babe. I promise."

Samantha sat back down on the bed that she rarely got to share with her husband. He was always making promises that he couldn't keep to the fullest. But, no matter how many times he tried to do something that he couldn't, Samantha will always love him. After all that they'd been through, she couldn't think about being with anybody else but him.

After a few seconds of silence, Dean sighed. "I love you, Samantha."

"I love you too," Samantha closed her eyes.

* * *

The next morning came faster than expected. When Samantha woke up, there was muffled laughter coming from outside the closed bedroom door. Rolling over to her side, she noticed that there was a half-packed suitcase on the floor and she smiled. The smell of fresh bacon swarmed throughout the air and lingered in her room. Sitting up, the brunette raked a hand through her hair and took a deep breath.

"Mommy!" She heard her small daughter's pleas so she gladly exited her room and hurried down the stairs.

"Good morning," Samantha greeted. April ran and jumped up into her mother's arms, giving her a syrupy kiss.

Once she was done, Samantha placed April down on the ground and watched as Dean slowly turned to face her. Smiling, the brunette laughed at the fact that he was wearing an apron, looking like a cheerful fatherly figure.

"You look hot," Samantha teased.

Shrugging, Dean smirked. "You like it? It could be our new thing," he joked.

Samantha shook her head. "Not in front of April," she insisted.

Walking up to her husband, the brunette wrapped her arms around Dean, melting into his arms. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"I've missed you too."

"These pancakes are good, Daddy!" April exclaimed as she continued to devour the food that was quickly disappearing from her plate.

"Slow down there, Munchkin." Dean walked over and used a napkin to wipe the young girl's face. "You're going to get sick."

April shook her head. "Nope!"

Samantha rested her head on Dean's shoulder as he continued to look at his daughter. "She's always like this," she told him.

"Only when I make her pancakes," he teased.

"No, _always_," she corrected. "She flips out over crayons and the mail."

"The mail?" He asked, confused but not surprised.

"The mail," she echoed.

"Pretty colors and glitter," April muttered. "Mail always has pretty colors and glitter."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "When did our daughter become such a girl?"

"The day you left, we watched Cinderella."

Nodding his head as he understood, Dean turned the over off and smiled. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What is it?" Samantha walked up to her husband and put her hands on his chest, playing along.

"You can't ask someone what their surprise is," he scorned.

Samantha leaned in towards his ear so that her daughter couldn't hear. "I have a surprise for you too."

Groaning quietly, Dean grew impatient. "How long can April stay out alone?"

"She's going to stay with my brother tonight."

"Perfect."

* * *

Rolling over to her side, Samantha nuzzled into Dean's neck, resting her head underneath her chin.

"You really did miss me," she teased.

"There's more where that came from," he promised. Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head before rolling off and grabbing something. Returning to his wife, he held out the small box for her. "For you."

Smiling, Samantha took it from his hands. "Mm, a present. It better be something nice."

Dean laughed at Samantha's comment and awaited her to open up the gift. She took off the small ribbon that was placed on top and quickly opened up the box to reveal a stunning diamond bracelet. Covering her mouth, she was completely shocked.

"Well? Do you like it?"

"Like it...I love it. Dean," leaning over, she kissed him. "It's beautiful. But, you know that you didn't have to."

"Which is why I had to," he insisted. "I know that you aren't a big fan of jewelry, but I thought of you when I saw it."

Samantha couldn't stop smiling. For a minute there, she wasn't entirely sure that Dean was really her husband, and that he was some other man who is pretending to be him. She'll admit, he is a much different man from when they met, and the last six years have changed him.

"I love you," she cooed. Dean helped her put the bracelet on, and they shared another kiss.

Before they could begin another session, Samantha's phone began to vibrate from the nightstand.

"Who is it," Dean groaned into their kiss.

Laughing, Samantha reached behind her and grabbed the phone. She separated from the man and looked down to see none other than Paul Levesque calling.

"It's Paul," she said flatly. "Hello?" She answered, still looking in shock at the new bracelet on her wrist.

"Samantha, I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Oh, no, not at all." Looking over at Dean, who was pouting, she rolled her eyes. "So, how may I help you?"

"Well, I wanted to call you about a possible opening for you here, back in the WWE."

Samantha's heart began to race faster and faster. "An opening? What kind of opening?"

"We've been losing a lot of Divas lately, and we're in need of a comeback for the division. I was hoping to interest you in a return."

"A return?" Samantha asked. Dean reached out and touched her arm, signaling her to turn around, and when she did she saw that he had a confused expression on his face.

"What?" He mouthed at her.

Putting her hand over the phone's microphone, Samantha looked at him. "They want me back," she whispered. Hearing Paul continue speaking, she returned to the conversation. "Yes, well I'm going to have to call you back with my decision."

"That's fine. Just let me know within the next week or so. Goodbye."

"Bye, Paul." She hung up and sighed, bringing her hand to her forehead. "What am I going to do?"

Dean rested his hand on her shoulder. "What do you want to do?"

"This isn't about what I want to do," she countered. "It's about our family, April and us. I can't go back full time and still be a good mother to April."

"Sure you can. You can do whatever you want to do," he encouraged.

Samantha smiled. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm telling you the truth. If you want to go back and wrestle, then do it. April will be fine, I promise."

She wasn't sure about it, even with the convincing. In fact, even after their late night conversation, she still took two weeks to finally decide.

It happened when she was sitting in her living room watching Monday Night RAW. The Divas match was on, and she watched as each one of the divas, some old and some were strangers to Samantha, took each other apart. Watching their match made everything seem so surreal. She wanted to go back, she missed it all so much. And after all that had happened, having her career cut short, she knew that she needed it to happen.

Looking at the clock, she figured that Dean would probably be in his locker room, so she went ahead and called him.

"Hey," he said. He seemed foggy and tired.

"Did you just wake up or something?" She suggested, confused, but not surprised.

"No," he answered. "I was stretching for the match tonight."

"Good. I've made up my mind."

Dean smiled. "You did?"

Nodding, she remembered that he couldn't see her. "I want to be a Diva again. I miss it all too much to stay away."

"I knew that you'd say yes."

Samantha shook her head. "You're an ass."

"You love my ass."

Letting out a laugh, Samantha looked as April fell asleep on her lap. "I've got to go put April to bed. Call me after the match, okay?"

"I promise."

After hanging up, Samantha dragged the small child back into her bedroom and tucked her into the bed. "Sweet dreams," she whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead. Once she turned off the lights and shut the door, she returned to the living room to watch the rest of the show.

A few more matched went on, here and there, which she enjoyed but didn't love. It wasn't until Dean's match that she really got into the show.

He went back and forth with Randy Orton. It wasn't a championship match or anything, but it was still important that he did his best. She laughed as he went through his move set, all the while being his idiotic self. His gimmick was partially the same: still a brawler, but not necessarily a heel. Samantha was amazed at how good he was. After all that she'd been through, trying to decide whether or not to come back, it felt good to be in her fan mode again and just relax and enjoy what was being unfolded before her eyes.

However, that relaxation didn't last for very long.

The match was solid, no mistakes were visibly being made, and Samantha was loving it. But, when Dean went in for his finisher, the Headlock Driver, and he didn't fully regain composure. Bending over, he was grabbing at his arm and shoulder, clearly upset.

Samantha was in shock the whole time. After he had toppled over, Randy went in and pinned him for the win. She didn't know what exactly was happening; if it was all in storyline or real. She tried to tell herself that is was a scripted injury, and it was nothing serious. But, she also knew that if it was scripted, she would have been informed of it weeks in advance.

She was pacing through her living room, trying to get a hold of anybody backstage by phone, but nobody was answering. Finally, she gave up on trying to call people and waited for Dean to call her, like he'd promised. And, when that didn't happen, she decided to call him.

As it was ringing, she felt her heart thumping loudly. The agony was killing her.

"Hello," a weak voice answered.

"Dean, what the hell just happened?"

"I tore my rotator cuff."

She sighed. "I told you to see the trainer."

"And, I am. Right now, Jake, say hi," he teased.

After hearing a faint "hi" in the background, Samantha sat back down on her couch. "How long will you be out?"

"Six to eight weeks of rehabilitation, and if I don't improve then I'll need surgery."

"Surgery? Dean," she scolded.

"Hey, at least you don't have to worry about April not having anybody around while you're gone."

"Gone?" Samantha shook her head. "Dean, I can't go back now. You're going to need a lot of help around the house, and so will April."

"Babe, don't worry so much."

"How can I not? You're injured, and now you're talking crazy."

Dean looked over at Jake the trainer and rolled his eyes. "If I were crazy, someone would have stopped me by now."

"Dean, I'm serious."

"And, so am I. You're coming back, and I'm going home. At least for awhile."

She wasn't sure about what to do. If she did go, she knew that things would get partially out-of-hand, and she didn't want Dean's injury to get worse because he had to help April out with some childish problem. And, knowing April, that was a sure thing to happen.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"Well, I know. I'll be home Wednesday morning, and you can fly out Sunday night. Everything is perfect, Sam. Everything is."

She was looking down at her feet now, still debating her return. Of course, she would love to go back, even if it did mean leaving her daughter and injured husband back at home. But, then again there was too much riding on it.

Thinking back to earlier that night, Samantha recalled the Divas match. She was so excited after seeing it and that's why she called Dean in the first place. She wanted to go back, she really did.

"Okay, fine. But, if this doesn't work out, I get to blame it all on you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Here I am for chapter 2! I know, it's taken me awhile to get it up, but it's here now! :)**

**Thank you for the feedback on the opening chapter. I hope that you'll all read and review this one as well...**

**Anyways, I hope that you enjoy! :)**

* * *

Being back was still new for Samantha. She was so used to waking up every morning, making breakfast for two and taking her daughter to and from kindergarten, and now that those days were over, she didn't know what to do. Sure, she was a Diva for a few years, and those memories don't go away. However, it had been _six years_. Everything that she'd learned before was somehow lost in all of her mother knowledge.

Now, sure, if she had returned months, or even a year after she'd left she would probably have been able to catch right up. But, everything has changed. The names, faces and show has changed. The only Divas that she really knew was AJ and Paige, from NXT. There were still divas who had moved up since Samantha was last here: JoJo, Sasha Banks and Bayley. She'd heard rumors that Nikki was coming back as well, but there was no certainties.

The main difference however, was the wrestling style. Everyone was so good; there was nobody who didn't deserve to be where they were. And, they were all so much younger than they used to be. The WWE had been signing on so many younger personnel, which isn't unheard of, but it is different. Samantha was so used to finding much older superstars walking throughout the halls, and finding the eldest people to be in their early forties...it was too strange.

Besides all of the change, Samantha was excited to be back. She knew that it was something that wouldn't be easy, but she was prepaired.

After all, she knew that having a six year old was harder.

"I'm so happy that you're back," AJ exclaimed the minute the brunette entered the Divas' locker room.

Smiling, Samantha through her duffle bag onto the floor. "Trust me, I couldn't be happier."

"I won't tell Dean or little April that you said that."

Samantha shook her head. "Where is everybody?"

"They're all off eating or something. I thought they'd be back by now, but who really knows."

"It's so weird, being back. I feel like I don't know anybody," Samantha admitted. She sat down on a chair that was sitting next to the open lockers and began to change from her walking shoes to her running shoes.

"Really? You should know most of them. I mean, there are a lot of newbies, but most of those girls are still in developmental." Looking over at her friend, AJ noticed the shoes she was changing into. "Are you going running?"

Samantha shrugged. "Being back here is giving me a little anxiety."

"So...you're switching shoes?"

"No, stupid." Samantha chuckled. "Sometimes when April's off at school and I get stressed, I'll go running. It's just how I manage everything. Clears my head."

AJ nodded in understanding. "So, you're in shape. Good, because there was a lot of talk about how you'd be having trouble getting back in the swing of things. I told them all it was nonsense, but you know how it is. Backstage drama is a killer."

"I have no doubts," Samantha commented. Standing up, she modeled the new shoes for AJ before dismissing herself and exiting the room.

Her run was long. She lost count of the time and distance, but she knew that it had been a long time once she started to see the numerous cars driving up the street to get a good parking spot for the show. She had nearly forgotten the rush of adrenaline she used to get when she was at RAW or Smackdown!. Even though she wasn't going to be in any matches tonight, she knew what the girls backstage were feeling, and she felt empathetic and jealous all at once.

Returning to the arena, she was greeted by waves of people in the hallways. Some were fans who were granted backstage passes, others were fellow employees who had a lot to say about her return. Samantha accepted each person with an open mind, but she tried her best to make it back to the locker rooms as quickly as possible.

"Why are there always so many people?" Samantha asked as she walked into the locker room. To her surprise, all of the current divas had returned from wherever they'd gone, and were now sitting around in their gear, talking. "Sorry, if I interrupted."

"No," AJ stood up and walked over to her friend. "Everybody, this is Samantha. If you already know her then, shut up, but everyone else, this is Samantha."

Samantha only laughed at her introduction. Suddenly, a tall blonde approached the returning brunette.

"My name is Catherine, but my ring name is Caty."

Shocked at the height of the Diva, Samantha smiled sweetly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Catherine turned and went back to her seat.

Looking over at AJ, Samantha's mouth expanded once the blonde had turned around. She hadn't realized how tall the woman was, and it intimidated her to her breaking point. It was weird for her, seeing such a tall competitor.

Next, it was a much shorter woman, who wasn't short, but much shorter than Catherine. She had simple red hair, not anything like Eva's vibrant red. She smiled sweetly and held out her hand. "I'm Rosie."

Samantha had to hold back the hysterical laughter that was building up. "It's nice to meet you, Rosie." She nearly choked on the words.

Once she'd met everyone, it was time for the show to begin. She was standing out in the crowd in a sectioned off area, specifically for new and returning Superstars and Divas. At first she was worried that all of the fans would see her and recognize her, but she figured that it didn't matter. With all of the social media and news coverage that engulfed the WWE, there was no way that anybody didn't know about her upcoming return. And, if someone didn't, then it would only be a matter of time before they found out.

The sound of the pyro that electrified the audience at the beginning of the show was so loud and eccentric that it almost shook her off her feet. Samantha had missed this feeling of an adrenaline rush more than she could've imagined.

The whole show was great for her; full of action, drama and a ton of crowd participation. It was a good feeling to see how interactive the crowds were in comparison to how they used to be. She was definitely approving of herself.

Thinking that she would get to go back to her hotel and relax for the evening, Samantha was surprised when she was pulled into none other than Stephanie McMahon's office.

"It is so good to have you back, Samantha."

The brunette smiled at her mentor. "It feels great to be back."

"Well, I was hoping that after tonight's show, you'd have a lot of ideas for your return."

Samantha shrugged. "I'm not really sure that the fans will remember me all that much. I could probably pretend to be somebody else."

"Samantha, you fainted in ring while giving your pregnancy announcement." Her comment made the brunette blush in embarrassment. "I think they'll remember you. After all, you are married to the WWE World Heavyweight Champion."

"When you put it that way," she mumbled.

"Anyways, _I _have a lot of ideas for your return. One of which, I think, you'll be able to do a lot with."

Samantha smiled and shook her head. "Whatever it is, I'll be happy to do it."

Stephanie smiled and handed the brunette a small packet. "Good. Then it's decided. Starting next Monday, you'll be put into a romantic angle with Dean's former partner in crime, Roman Reigns."


	3. Chapter 3

With wide eyes, Samantha replayed the name in her head a number of times before saying anything.

"Roman," she mumbled. The Samoan's name came out in a hushed whisper, dry and almost confused. "Are you sure?"

Stephanie smiled. "We've decided that it's about time we show the WWE Universe a different side of Roman and yourself. I personally think that the fans will be able to relate better to the both of you as a couple, rather than individual athletes."

"But, that's what we _are_." Samantha was leaning forward in her chair, no longer relaxed by her atmosphere.

"Just, give this a go. If we don't like where it's going, we'll change it up."

Samantha shook her head. "No offence, Stephanie, but that isn't exactly...fair."

"And, how is that?" Stephanie's eyebrow was cocked, and as she leaned back in her chair, she crossed her arms. She was clearly annoyed.

"It's just that, you won't be affected by this move. If something goes wrong, all the blame will be on us. Roman and I don't need a relationship."

Stephanie smirked. "You're afraid of what Dean will have to say, aren't you?"

Shocked by the suspicion, Samantha knew that she was guilty as charged. It wasn't that she was necessarily _afraid _of what her husband would say; if anything, she was more terrified of what he would do. Roman was such a good friend, and the last thing that Samantha wanted to do was put something in the way. After all, being stuck between a rock and a hard place never ended well for anybody.

"No," she assured her boss. "I just don't want to make things awkward between Roman and I. I'd like to pick up things where it we left off, six years ago."

"Six years is a long time," Stephanie commented. "A lot changes, people change. More than that, people grow. Just look at yourself, Samantha. Six years ago you were a strong rookie with a lot of potential. Now, you're a mother and a strong woman. You've accomplished so much outside of the ring, and the only way for us to accommodate for that is to give you a head start."

"And, putting me in an onscreen relationship is the way to do that?"

"It will only be until Dean returns with the title. Then, Roman will go off on a WWE World Heavyweight Championship bout, leaving you for the beloved Divas Title."

It all sounded pretty good to Samantha. All except for the actual part of being a couple with Roman. Of course, it had nothing to do with the man himself, more so with the situation itself. She was beginning to think about how unfair this all was. She returned from a hiatus to be thrown into another one of the WWE's classic, risky moves.

"I don't know, Steph," Samantha sighed. "It all looks really good on paper."

"You don't think you'll be able to handle it?"

"I can handle anything," Samantha scoffed.

Stephanie smiled at the woman's response. "Good. Then, you and Roman will start next Monday. Read over this." Pulling out another stack of paper, Stephanie handed Samantha a packet full of details about the forming relationship. "It's basically the overview of what will be going on between you two over the next few weeks or so."

The brunette glanced through the papers and sighed. "That's a lot."

"I presume you won't disappoint."

* * *

Samantha barely slept the next week. All the flying, which she still hated, and the reading of the scripts, it was all exhausting. Yet, her insomnia took over and she could barely get a nights rest without jerking awake to the slightest sounds.

It was Monday night, and she couldn't even begin to feel sorry for herself. She knew that it was important to sell her love for Roman to the audience, but how could she do that? If it were anybody else, and she literally means anybody else, there wouldn't be a problem. But, Roman? He was too close to Dean for her to feel comfortable doing this. Even though it was all fake.

She was standing backstage watching the match on the monitor. It was Roman up against Corey Graves. The thought of all the old newbies being practically veterans now was almost too difficult for the returning Diva to bear witness to.

Tonight she was supposed to go out and interrupt the match, distract Corey and allow for Roman to pick up the victory. It wasn't anything romantic or even flirtatious. But, it would get the ball rolling for much more...exciting things to happen.

No music sounded, but one of the crew members pointed at her to tell her it was her turn to go out. Whenever a Diva is starting a romance, they'll usually wear something seductive to the ring. But, not Samantha. She was never really into that kind of stuff. Rather, she wore a pair of tight jeans and a crop top. Her designer boots were the only things that seemed 'expensive' on her, but she was fine with it.

She walked out of the curtain and listened as the first audience members to see her began to scream.

"Is that...Samantha? Samantha Underwood?" Jerry Lawler turned to Michael Cole as he spoke in shock.

"I believe that it is," Michael stated. "Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time in _six years_, Samantha Underwood is returning to RAW!"

"But, what is she doing out here?"

Samantha would later laugh at the commentary, but at the moment she was focused. Focused on not messing this up. Focused on not ruining her, or Roman's career for that matter.

She walked with determination towards the ring, but stopped once she arrived. Roman and Corey both looked at her before returning to their brawl. Once Corey got Roman down to the floor, he walked towards the ropes and began to shout.

"What do you think you're doing here?" He asked the brunette, who was making her way up the steel steps.

Samantha shrugged and smiled. "Having fun."

Before he had the chance to object, Samantha grabbed his face and planted a distracting kiss on his lips. He slowly pulled away, stunned and a little off balance. Roman quickly capitalized and speared him as he turned around to wrestle.

Samantha wiped her lips and smirked as Roman pinned the bewildered man. The taste of Corey's lips were disgusting. He, on the other hand, appreciated having Samantha's being wrapped around his. He was a lonely man, a lonely man with a wild mind.

Roman was celebrating his victory when he noticed Samantha, standing outside the ring. They spoke nothing to each other, only exchanged quiet looks. Roman suddenly smirked, revealing his playful personality, and causing Samantha to feel something that she immediately swallowed down.

Infatuation.

* * *

**La, la, la laaa. Haha, don't ask why, but I'm sort of in love with all three of The Shield members. It's a kind of obsession. Whoops. Not really sorry for it. Makes for more fun fanfictions. **

**I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a struggle to write, but I pushed through it. I'm not sure why, but I find sequels really hard to write sometimes. I feel like there's a lot to live up to, and not a lot of room to branch out. There's a lot of things that I'd love to write into this, but with all of Samantha and Dean's history, I can't. **

**Either way, please review and keep a look out for the next update! :) Chao!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for the reviews on the previous chapter. :) Your support means so much!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The days following had been anything but normal for the returning Diva. All Samantha had begun to want to do was go home and be with her daughter and injured husband. She felt as if she were betraying them by not being with them.

Rolling out of bed, the brunette shuffled to her feet and unplugged her phone from the wall above her nightstand. She opened up the Face Time app and pressed on Dean's name. She wasn't sure if he was awake yet, considering that it was just before eight in the morning. To her delight, however, he was awake. Or, at least he was physically.

"Hello?" He asked, his face still stuffed in the white pillow, which was covering half of the screen.

Samantha giggled at the sight in front of her. In her hands, she held the single most adorable picture of Dean Ambrose that nobody else in the world had the privilege of seeing. "You up yet?" She asked, loud enough that his back arched and he sat up.

"Am now," he mumbled. "Why are you up so early?"

"I have to _work_, remember?" She rolled her eyes before walking into the kitchen and pouring herself a cup of coffee. "You do realize that April has to be at school in thirty minutes, correct?"

The face he made was priceless. Of course he didn't remember, he could barely remember his own name when he got tired enough. But, he was trying. It's just that, being a 'stay-at-home-dad' wasn't panning out to the way he expected.

Dean quickly got out of bed and ran out of his room and down the hallway. To his surprise, April was already out of bed, dressed and almost ready for school.

"Would you look at that," he muttered in amazement.

April smiled, unaware of the reason her father was in awe. "Daddy, can you braid my hair like Mommy does?"

Samantha smiled at the sound of her daughter's voice. "April," she whispered. "Oh, Dean! Let me see her!"

Obliging, Dean handed the phone over to his young daughter and knelt behind her, taking her hair into his hand. They would all later laugh at the fact that he was trying to braid the strands of hair in front of him, considering that he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

"How's my baby?" Samantha asked.

"Daddy's braiding my hair," April exclaimed, moving the camera so that it showed the mere top of Dean's head. He was focused, and it caused the woman on the other end of the call to laugh.

"I can tell. Good job, Daddy."

He smiled in the background and April moved the camera so that it was facing herself again. "I miss you Mommy."

Everybody was silent. It was a difficult subject for them, and Samantha couldn't handle being away from them. It was hard for her; all she wanted was to be with them, and it was killing her to think that it wasn't going to happen until the following week when she would get to go home for the weekend.

"I miss you too, Baby. But, Mommy promises that she'll be home as soon as she can," Samantha assured.

"Good," April said with a bright, six year old smile. Samantha cheered up as soon as she saw the toothless grin of her daughter.

Dean had finished with...braiding his daughters hair. He felt somewhat accomplished, even though it turned out looking terrible. When he showed Samantha, she smiled and waited for him to leave her sight before she explained to April that she would need to take it out and brush through it before being sent off to school.

They continued their conversation as Dean drove April and dropped her off at school, but it didn't get any deeper than child-talk until the husband and wife were alone.

"Ok," Samantha began, "tell me the truth. How hard has it really been?"

He shrugged. "I don't have anything to compare it too. I can't exactly say that I've been there for you the past few years."

"Dean, it's fine. You're there now."

"You're not."

Samantha could only sigh. "Dean..."

"Look, I'm not mad that you aren't here. It's just been...different."

The brunette raked a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. She figured that it was the best time to break the ice about her new storyline with Roman. But, before she had the chance to open up about it, Dean beat her to the punch.

He was just getting back to the house when he brought it up. "I watched RAW last night."

"Oh," she muttered. "What was your favorite part?"

"Don't bullshit me."

She should have bit her tongue. "I was just asking," she sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me about Roman?"

"I wanted you to be surprised?" Samantha suggested, but the look on his face explained that he was serious. "I don't know, Dean. I guess that I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

He could tell that there was something off about her explanation. "It's not a _big _deal, but I would have appreciated a phone call."

Putting off another word, Samantha took a large sip from her coffee. "I know, and I should have called you and I'm sorry that I didn't."

Dean collapsed down onto the couch and threw his hand over his face. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's fine," she lied.

"No," he shook his head. "It's not. It's been a long time since I've snapped at you like that, and I know how it makes you feel."

Samantha sighed. It was true. The last time he'd snapped at her was just after he'd won the title, just under a year ago. She'd been complaining about how he was never home, but not to the extent of her wining, but he took it to heart. Being away from his family was hard on him, despite it being the only way he could support him. So, when she was upset with him, he yelled at her until she cried and hung up.

_Flashback - One year earlier._

_"I know," Samantha muttered. "And, believe me, I'm happy for you. But April is starting school soon, and I was hoping that we would be able to spend some time together. As a family."_

_Dean sighed and threw his bag onto the couch of his hotel room. He'd just gotten to Dallas, Texas, thousands of miles away from home._

_"Dean?" She asked, his silence worrying her._

_"What?" His voice sounded annoyed, but he couldn't control it. "What do you want me to do? Fly home? Lose the title?"_

_Samantha felt her heart rise to her throat. "Of course not," she had to fight the urge to break down and cry. "I miss you, that's all."_

_"You don't think that I miss you too?" He'd calmed a bit, but he was still worked up. _

_"Do you?"_

_The way the words registered in Dean's mind scared him. They both knew what was ahead of them._

_"Don't patronize me, Sam. Don't treat me like I'm a bad father to April."_

_"It's not like I have a lot to compare you to," her voice lowered to a whisper as she was reminded by her name that her daughter was finally asleep. "In the last year alone, you've probably only seen us twice."_

_"You don't seem to have a problem with me being gone while you're out spending my money."_

_"Excuse me? You're such a prick." Tears were beginning to fill her eyes._

_Dean regretted it, but he couldn't stop. "Call me back when you're done bitching."_

_So, she hung up and bawled her eyes out. Silently, of course, so that she wouldn't wake up the child. The only thing that she didn't do was call him back. In fact, they didn't speak until he showed up at their house one night, unexpectedly, begging her to forgive him. It took her a couple of hours, but after seeing how apologetic he was, she finally caved in and forgave him._

_End of flashback_

"It's fine," she lied again, trying to push it off.

Dean nodded, even though he didn't fully believe her. "I don't want you to think that I'm not okay with this."

"But, you're not."

"I didn't say that."

"You were thinking it."

He grunted, quieter than usual, but he still grunted. Looking into the screen, he chuckled. "You're a pain in my ass."

"Don't act like you hate it, though."

Dean smiled, and it triggered the same response from his wife. "After six years," he began, "you're still the hottest pain in my ass that I've ever had."

Her eyebrows came up. "There's been other Pains in your ass?"

They both laughed, and their tension subsided. It felt good that they both got to relax. Despite how easy things seemed to get, they both knew in their hearts that it wasn't going to last. Nothing too perfect ever does. Seeing each other's faces relax, they sighed.

"So, what now?" She asked, pulling her hair over to the other side of her head so it would be out of her face.

He shrugged. "If you have to work, then you have to work."

Samantha nodded. "Fine," she sighed.

"I love you," he said, without any hesitation.

Assuming that he was so quick to say it because he felt guilty, Samantha smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

All she wanted was a quick trip to the hotel's gym, but what she got was completely off-schedule.

Samantha had just entered the gym, fully decked out in spandex and a cut-off t-shirt when she noticed the tall Samoan bench pressing in the corner of the room. She was mainly surprised because normally, Roman wouldn't use a regular hotel gym to his advantage; he needed the full-scale, LA Fitness type of location.

Dean's filled her in on a lot.

She tried her best to ignore him, not out of fear or embarrassment, but because she wasn't sure of what she should say. How are you supposed to greet someone who you have to fake a relationship with? However, once Roman noticed her, he was all talk.

"Samantha Ambrose," he chuckled as he approached the woman. "If it isn't my _girlfriend."_

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I can see that you're enjoying yourself."

"Actually, I am."

He followed her over to the squat-racks and watched as she loaded up the bar with weights. When she realized that he was staring, she was quick to speak up.

"Can I help you with something?"

Holding his hands up, Roman surrendered. "I just wanted to know why you agreed to do this whole relationship thing with me."

Samantha shrugged before pulling the bar over her shoulders and going deep into her first set of squats. "Money."

"Good choice," he chuckled again. His voice was deep and harsh, like a professional heartthrob - which, he sort of was. "Probably not the answer that I was going for, but still, a good choice." He waited for Samantha to finish her first set before he spoke again. "So, tell me, Mrs. Ambrose: what does your loving husband have to say about all of this?"

She put the rack behind her and sighed. "He's supportive."

"Supportive?" He shook his head. "That doesn't sound like Dean Ambrose."

"You obviously don't know Dean Ambrose then."

He smiled toothily. "Guess that I don't."

Before she began her next set, she rested her hands on her hips. "Your turn: what does your girlfriend think about our storyline?"

He got quiet. "Don't have one to think about it."

"Oh," she said. She was shocked, honestly. Roman Reigns, current powerhouse in the WWE, doesn't have a girlfriend. "I guess that I just assumed."

"Fair enough." He climbed his way over to the squat-rack next to the one Samantha was at. "Mind if I join?"

She laughed. "You? Squatting? No offense, but I don't think you need a squatting butt."

His mouth dropped open, as if he had been offended. "For your information, I have been a little self-conscious about my butt lately."

Samantha tried to hold back her laughter, and failed. She wasn't used to seeing this side of Roman, and is she were going to be honest with herself, she wouldn't mind working with him if this was how it was always going to be.

But, like she always says, everything that seems perfect never lasts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Please forgive me for the lack of updates! I got so caught up in the other two stories I'm writing that I forgot to give this one some love. Either way, I'm back now and I'll be trying my best to keep this one flowing. **

**Thank you for all the sweet reviews! You all mean a lot to me. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been two weeks since their onscreen relationship started, and everything was in smooth sailing for Samantha and Roman. Between RAW and Smackdown, Samantha had distracted all of his opponents on a basis, strutting around in somewhat revealing outfits, and causing more drama than she knew was necessary for Roman to get a shot at the championship.

And, despite the lack of support from Dean, she knew that she had been doing a great job.

To her surprise, Samantha's fan base had grown, and she was almost to 1 million followers on Twitter, something that she had always joked about getting to. In her opinion, being someone's valet didn't exactly have grounds for becoming one of the most popular Divas in the division. It just didn't seem to fit.

The only thing that was really getting her through the moral battle she was having inside of her head was knowing that she was finally able to fly out to her house to see Dean and April. It was overdue, but also better late than never.

Walking up to the front door, she was surprised that it opened before she could put her key inside the lock.

"Mommy!" April threw her arms out and jumped into Samantha's arms, squeezing tightly.

"I missed you so much, April." She felt like tearing up, but she also knew that it wouldn't be the most satisfying thing to do. "Where's your daddy?"

April released her mom and looked back towards the dining room. "He's doing something with something in that room over there." She pointed in the direction that the clanking of plates was coming from, so Samantha dragged her bags into the house and followed the sound.

Walking into the room, she saw Dean trying to set the table while one arm was wrapped and hanging in a sling.

"I don't think that counts as resting," Samantha teased.

As soon as he heard the woman's voice, he immediately forgot what he was doing as he ran to greet his wife with an open...arm.

"Welcome home, Sam."

Samantha smiled and pulled away so that she could kiss him. It had been two weeks since she had been able to press her lips against his, and the feeling was unlike any other. She'd missed it way too much.

"It feels good to be home." She could hear April making a mess in the background, and she smiled again. "How has she been?"

"Pretty good, for a six year old. She's a handful, but I'm managing."

"With one arm, no less." She looked down at the arm that was resting in a tan sling. "Why weren't you wearing that in the last few FaceTime calls?" she scolded.

Shrugging with his good shoulder, he turned his attention to the table behind him. "I'm making dinner tonight."

"Really?"

"Well, I'm ordering out. But, we're eating it in this room. I figured that it was a special occasion."

Smirking, Samantha put her bags down on the floor. "Really?" she asked again. "A _special_ occasion. What do you have planned on this _special occasion_?"

"A lot of...non-PG things."

The brunette laughed and wrapped her arms around Dean's shoulders lightly. "Count me in."

* * *

The couple was lying down, their arms draped around each other, breathing silently as they stared off into space.

"I've missed that," Samantha said, turning and pressing her face against her husband's bare chest.

Leaning over, Dean gently kissed the brunette's forehead. "Don't even start with me," he said with a groan, causing Samantha to laugh a little. "Seeing you every week in those outfits...Damn you. Especially since you weren't here to help me out."

"You're unbelievable."

Taking it the wrong way, Dean smirked. "Don't have to say that twice."

Samantha playfully slapped her husband's chest and sat up, leaning up against the headboard. "You're crazy."

After a moment's silence, Dean reached up and used his thumb to turn Samantha's attention towards him. Looking into each other's eyes, they still saw what they always used to see, every time they were together: passion. Despite the confusing situation she was being thrown into, she still maintained a loyal heart for her husband and family, and that was all that mattered.

"I don't want you to think that anything has changed," Dean assured.

Samantha shook her head and looked down. "I don't. I just don't want us to fall apart."

"Hey," he said, sitting up and bringing her towards him. "We aren't going to fall apart. We're fine."

"But, you don't want me doing this storyline with Roman."

"It's not you that I'm worried about," he admitted.

She was surprised at the suggestion that Roman wanted anything more than just a storyline. From everything that she'd heard and knew about the man, he seemed like a honorable person. Nothing suspicious ever came up in the same sentence as Roman Reigns.

"Well, don't be worried at all. Nothing is going to happen as long as I have anything to do about it."

Dean nodded and grabbed Samantha by the back of her head and pressed a passionate kiss against her lips. He knew what he was dealing with, and even with his wife's promises and assurances, it still wasn't enough for him to trust Roman around her. He loved this woman too much to risk losing her to the man that he used to be friends with.

On the other hand, Samantha had no intention of doing anything remotely close to romantic with Roman. Even though the lines got blurry when she was dating Dean, she was always able to keep a distinct border between her job and her personal life. Especially when it came to the storylines that she got involved in.

"I love you," Dean said once they broke apart.

"I love you too."

Looking down into her husband's deep blue eyes, she saw something that she had never seen before from him. It was a mixture of pain and worry, as if it was hurting him to watch her go off and do this whole thing with Roman, even though they both knew that she had to. But, she pushed it past her. He had absolutely nothing to worry about, in her eyes.

After all, it was only a job.

* * *

"Roman, get your ass over here."

The large Samoan walked slowly towards the ring that had been set up for practice-purposes. Of course he loved wrestling, if it weren't for the opportunity he wouldn't be able to support himself or do the things that make him happy. But, he could live without the early morning training sessions.

"Seriously, we don't have all day. The chicks are going to come in and kick us out."

"Shut up, Seth. I'll get there eventually."

After The Shield had broken up, Roman, Seth and Dean had all gone their 'separate ways'. Sure, they still had a lot of run-ins in and out of the ring, but for the most part, they rarely got to see each other. It was only recently that Seth and Roman had begun to practice with each other, and even though one half of the dynamic duo appreciated the effort, the other half...not so much.

He did as he said, getting to the ring eventually, climbing through the ropes and settling for a relaxing moment of silence.

"Are you ready, now?" Seth had already finished stretching and was getting to the point of boredom where he'd wished that he'd stayed in his hotel room and forgotten about the whole deal with his former tag-team partner.

Lifting up his arms to stretch himself, Roman released a large breath of air through a sigh.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I'm ready."

They wrestled around for what seemed like hours, the whole time as they called each other names in hope that one of them would fall under. Wrestling was way more interesting that way; when people actually compete for dominance rather than being scripted into a dominant reign.

Finally, they both ended up in their own corners, gasping for air. They had failed to realize that they'd been able to capture the attention of a few other workers and wrestlers until they had surrounded the ring as an audience and were clapping for the two men.

"I guess it was ok?" Seth asked, and people laughed and nodded.

"You too definitely know how to put on a show," Samantha said as she entered the ring.

Roman stood in silence. He'd never realized how beautiful the brunette was when she wasn't even trying. Her hair was stacked in a perfect bun, her outfit was plain and simple, yet she still looked like she could be a goddess.

"It's a work in progress," Seth said as he threw his arm around Roman's shoulder. "We're just trying to show everyone that a feud between us two would be great."

Samantha stood impressed. "And, here I thought that you two didn't really care too much about what the people upstairs had to think," she teased, referring to the people in charge of this company. "But, really; you two work really well together. I hope that word catches on."

"Me too," Roman said quickly. Later on, he would feel like the biggest idiot in the world. He never _ever _got nervous and giddy around a woman. Especially a _married_ woman. And, not just any married woman. A woman who is married to Dean Ambrose. So, being nervous was ok, but not for the reason that he was.

The brunette nodded her head. "Well, Roman, Stephanie has some more stuff for our storyline in her office. She told me to come and get you. If you ask me, it's just some more crap that really doesn't matter to me, but if you're interested..." her voice trailed off as she exited the ring.

Roman watched as she left the empty arena with her friend, AJ Lee. He's almost forgotten how close the two were back in the day.

"Remember when Dean was head-over-heels for that woman?" Seth nudged the Samoan as he recalled everything that had happened between them. "You know, how he used to come in here and complain and whine about something that happened? Man, I miss those days. Things were so much easier."

Roman nodded, but not for the same reason that Seth had just explained.

For Seth, things were easier because he was getting everything he wanted through the Shield. For Roman, things were easier because he wasn't falling for the one woman that he knows he can't be falling for: Samantha Underwood-Ambrose.


End file.
